Championing a sustainable, ethically-produced and gender-neutral approach to fashion design, Rahemur Rahman makes clothes "for the people who dream in colour". We visited Rahemur's east-London studio to hear about his influences, inspiration, and to see him craft a tailored jacket and trouser ensemble, with fabric hand-dyed and block-printed by artisans in Bangladesh.
Rahemur Rahman's distinctive prints and patterns are inspired by his Bangladeshi heritage, family photographs, and by historic South Asian textiles, including those at the V&A. His desire to nurture sustainable craftmanship lead him to collaborate with Bangladesh-based Aranya Crafts, supporting local makers and cultivating traditional techniques such as natural dyeing and block-printing. A graduate of Central Saint Martins College, where he now teaches, Rahemur continues to push education, community and social engagement through his fashion brand.
The tailored ensemble featuring in this film was originally created for Rahemur Rahman's Children of the Rag Trade collection – a homage to his father's London tailoring career – and has now been acquired for the museum.
